Farming household food storage, consumption and sales decision making under price risk in northern Uganda

Abstract

This study extended the agricultural household model to explain food storage , consumption and sales behaviors of farming households in northern Uganda using two major staple grains: finger millet and beans. Using secondary data collected by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics from 782 millet and beans producing households (388 households below poverty level and 394 households above poverty level), seemingly unrelated regressions were performed and risk neutrality tests were carried out. It was found that all finger millet and beans producing households in northern Uganda we re risk neutral regarding storage and sales decisions with only millet producing households below poverty line being risk averse in their consumption decisions. However, households above poverty line produced and stored more millet and beans implying that they were more food secure than households below poverty level. Therefore, strategies to boost incomes, production and prudent management of millet a nd beans stocks at the household level are critical for food security alleviation in northern Uganda.

A Review of the Political Economy of Agriculture in Uganda: Women, Property Rights, and Other Challenges

“…Based on the findings in this literature review, agriculture is backbone of the economy in Uganda, Ghana, Rwanda, Botswana, and South Africa. In fact, the current review revealed that agriculture is the leading economic sector that accounts for large percentage of Uganda' GDP based on the total export [1,2,3,9]. It was highlighted that agriculture continues to employ the majority of the population in these countries.…”

“…Currently, Uganda produces a variety of agricultural products with coffee, tea, sugar, and livestock as the leading ones [9]. Many researchers indicate that subsistence farming is the most popularly practiced form of agriculture in the country, with over 71% of the country's farmers practicing it [19].…”

“…In this case, it is not surprising that agricultural production, especially by small-scale farmers in developing countries contributes to the sustainability of food security in both rural and urban population. However, it is worth mentioning that most of the small-scale farmers in developing countries such as Uganda face many challenges related to land, financial support, limited use of technology, and price fluctuation to mention but a few [7][8][9]. Nonetheless, a wide range of research indicates that agriculture is still considered to be a powerful means in a bid to achieve inclusive development in Uganda [10 -12].…”